Re: [gtk-list] Re: Resizing widgets with a mouse [OT]

[Paul Barton-Davis <pbd op net>]

>Here's a simple example (and my specific one), a front end to a mud game.
>This includes multiple text windows to which the user may direct various
>messages, sized pixmaps (perhaps a body health diagram, a compass, etc),
>menubar for controls and lots of popup windows to individual configs.  Each
>user's character is unique in needs and, therefore, no common screen layout is
>acceptable. Now I could place all these in seperate top level windows but I'm
>stuck with whatever frames the user's theme allows, these waste valuable
>desktop space.  

I think you are misunderstanding the X model of responsibility. You
can ask the window manager to avoid any decoration for a given
window. If it doesn't *thats not your problem*. It means that the user
is either intentionally or unintentionally using a window manager that
always puts decoration on all windows. Its not your job as an
applications programmer to try to work around this. I don't know of
any modern WM's that will not honor a request for no decoration. Most
of them will even allow you the user to request this for specific
windows as long as they have a unique name.

Let me say it again: the decoration of windows is not a matter for the
application, other than in requesting it not be done. If you've done
that, you've done all you can do, and the rest comes down to
recommending/helping/requiring the user to use a reasonable WM.

By trying to use an MDI model, you circumvent everything the user
already knows about moving/resizing/minimizing/maximizing windows. if
your application puts up as many windows as you say, i might even
prefer to split them across workspaces - how would your MDI model
allow me, a user who knows how to do this, to accomplish this ?

>I agree the symetical layout of widgets is much cleaner I also put forth there
>are times when it is proper to allow the user to control the exact position
>and size of their widgets.  

Use gtk_widget_set_usize(), prevent window resizing and place
everything with a GtkFixed.

--p